Laundry treatment apparatus and method of controlling the same

Abstract

A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus is disclosed. The method includes rotating the drum only in one direction among a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction so as to separate water from water contained in the drum, supplying water to the tub, rotating only the agitator to an angle less than 360 degrees so as to disperse laundry in the drum, rotating only the rotator to an angle of 360 degrees or more at a rotational speed that is higher than a rotational speed of the agitator set for the dispersion operation so as to supply water to the chamber, filtering water through the filter, and rotating only the agitator to an angle less than 360 degrees at a rotational speed that is higher than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the dispersion operation but is lower than the rotational speed set for the filtering operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus that includes a tub having a space for containing water, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, the drum having a space for containing laundry and a drum port provided at an upper wall thereof, a chamber to guide water, an agitator rotatably disposed in the drum to create water flow in the drum and to transfer water to the chamber, and a filter disposed at a level higher than the agitator to filter water introduced into the chamber, the method comprising:
 performing a dewatering operation, after water discharge operation, by rotating the drum only in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction to separate water from in the drum; 
 performing a first water supply operation for rinsing operation by supplying water to the tub; 
 performing a dispersion operation by rotating the agitator to an angle that is less than 360 degrees to disperse laundry in the drum, the dispersion operation to separate laundry from an inner circumferential surface of the drum by the water flow; 
 performing a filtering operation by rotating the agitator to an angle of 360 degrees or more at a rotational speed that is higher than a rotational speed of the agitator set for the dispersion operation, to supply water to the chamber, and to filter water through the filter; 
 performing a first agitating operation by rotating the agitator to an angle that is less than 360 degrees at a rotational speed that is higher than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the dispersion operation and is lower than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the filtering operation, 
 after performing the first agitating operation:
 performing a second water supply operation by supplying water to the tub; 
 performing a second agitating operation by rotating the agitator to an angle less than 360 degrees at a rotational speed that is higher than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the dispersion operation and is lower than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the filtering operation; 
 performing a water flow creation operation by rotating, in a same direction, the agitator and the drum to an angle of 360 degrees or more to create water flow at a circumferential surface of the tub; and 
 performing a water discharge operation by discharging water in the tub, 
 
 wherein initiation of performing the dispersion operation occurs during the performing of the first water supply operation. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion operation, the filtering operation and the first agitating operation are to be sequentially performed. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein performing the dispersion operation includes:
 rotating the agitator in a clockwise direction; and 
 rotating the agitator in a counterclockwise direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein performing the first agitating operation includes:
 rotating the agitator in a clockwise direction; and 
 rotating the agitator in a counterclockwise direction. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the performing of the second agitating operation includes rotating only the agitator to the angle less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein performing the second agitating operation and performing the water flow creation operation are to be sequentially performed. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of performing the water flow creation operation is performed concurrently with at least a portion of performing the water discharge operation. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein initiation of performing the water flow creation operation is before initiation of performing the water discharge operation, and performing the water flow creation operation is completed before completion of performing the water discharge operation. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to performing the first water supply operation, performing a laundry amount determination operation by determining an amount of laundry in the drum, 
 wherein the first water supply operation supplies water to a level that is lower than a reference level set based on the determined amount of laundry, and 
 wherein the second water supply operation supplies water to a level that is higher than the reference level. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein performing the dispersion operation includes rotating only the agitator to the angle that is less than 360 degrees, wherein performing the filtering operation includes rotating only the agitator to the angle of 360 degrees or more, and wherein performing the first agitation operation includes rotating only the agitator to the angle that is less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       11. A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus that includes a tub, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub and having a space for containing laundry and a drum port, a chamber to guide water, an agitator rotatably disposed in the drum, and a filter, the method comprising:
 rotating the drum, after discharging water, only in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction to separate water from in the drum; 
 supplying first water for rinsing to the tub; 
 rotating only the agitator to an angle that is less than 360 degrees to disperse laundry in the drum, and to be configured to separate laundry from an inner circumferential surface of the drum by water flow; 
 rotating only the agitator to an angle of 360 degrees or more at a rotational speed that is higher than a rotational speed of the agitator set for the rotating of only the agitator to the angle that is less than 360 degrees, to supply water to the chamber, and to filter water through the filter; 
 rotating only the agitator to an angle that is less than 360 degrees at a rotational speed that is higher than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the rotating of only the agitator to the angle that is less than 360 degrees and is lower than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the rotating of only the agitator to the angle of 360 degrees or more, 
 after rotating of only the agitator to an angle that is less than 360 degrees:
 supplying second water to the tub; 
 rotating the agitator to an angle less than 360 degrees at a rotational speed that is higher than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the rotating of only the agitator to an angle that is less than 360 degrees to disperse laundry in the drum and is lower than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the rotating of only the agitator to the angle of 360 degrees or more; 
 rotating, in a same direction, the agitator and the drum to an angle of 360 degrees or more to create water flow at a circumferential surface of the tub; and 
 discharging water in the tub, 
 
 wherein initiation of rotating of only the agitator to the angle that is less than 360 degrees occurs during the supplying of the first water to the tub. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the rotating of only the agitator to an angle that is less than 360 degrees to disperse laundry in the drum includes:
 rotating the agitator in a clockwise direction; and 
 rotating the agitator in a counterclockwise direction. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein rotating of only the agitator to the angle that is less than 360 degrees at a rotational speed that is higher than the rotational speed of the agitator set for the rotating of only the agitator to the angle that is less than 360 degrees includes:
 rotating the agitator in a clockwise direction; and 
 rotating the agitator in a counterclockwise direction. 
 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the rotating of the agitator to the angle less than 360 degrees includes rotating of only the agitator to the angle less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein initiation of rotating the agitator and the drum to the angle of 360 degrees or more is before initiation of discharging water in the tub, and rotating the agitator and the drum to the angle of 360 degrees or more is completed before completion of discharging water in the tub. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 prior to the supplying of first water to the tub, determining an amount of laundry in the drum, 
 wherein the supplying of first water to the tub supplies water to a level that is lower than a reference level set based on the determined amount of laundry, and 
 wherein the supplying of second water supplies water to a level that is higher than the reference level.